DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AM) TlIKll; DISTRIBUTION. 27 



slender puint. At present it seems likely thai these young skates represenl a variety of R. 

 ackleyi. Whether they are more distinct can only be determined by comparison of young 

 and adults of each." [Garman.) 



An individual obtained by the Albatross at station 2; 17 7, February 1 1. 1885, believed to lie 

 of this species, was colored as follows: Puncticulate with brown on the dorsal surface, and 

 with a tew scattered larger blotches ot' the same. The ground color N a grayish lirown, 

 quite pale. 



K'AIA PLUTONIA, Gasman. (Fignre26.) 



Rajaplutonia, Garman, Bull. Mua Comp.Zoiil., Vol. vm, No. ll. issi, 236. — Goodk and Bean, op. cit. — Gt)N- 

 ii 1 1 : i: . Challenger Report, xxn. 10. 



'Disk, including ventrals, broader than long, subquadrangular, broadly rounded in 



front and on the lateral angles; snout forming a very blunt angle: margin opposite the gill 

 openings nearly straight. Tail about one and one half times the length of the disk, slender, 

 depressed, with a cutaneous fold on each side near the extremity. Rostra] cartilage short, 

 not extending to the end of the snout. Mouth moderate, slightly curved, width equaling 

 the distance between the outer angles of the nostrils, and contained twice in its distance 

 from the end of the snout. Teeth about thirty-two series (a young specimen). lives large, 

 longitudinal diameter of orbit greater than their distance apart. I nterorbital space con- 

 cave, narrow; width rather more than two and one half times in the distance of the eyes 

 from the end of the snout. Spiracles small. Anterior nasal valve tubular; posterior reach- 

 ing the mouth, free on its outer margin. Hinder extremity of pectoral broad, rounded. 

 Ventrals deeply notched, anterior portion narrow, extending farther from the middle of the 

 pelvis than the posterior. * * * 



" Mack and tail covered with small, closely set, stellate based scales, which bear elon- 

 gate, slender, compressed, backward directed points. Larger spines form a superorbital 

 row, and a single one stands on each side of the back of the head. The largest on the 

 body form a close vertebral series on back and tail. On each side of the shoulder girdle 

 there is an irregular series of five, and a short distance in front of each of these stands one 

 or a pair. On each side of the tail there are two series, little smaller than those of the 

 medial row. Smooth below. Very small specimens have not so many spines. 



"lirown, grayish in small to purplish in the largest specimens at hand, with more or 

 less irregular transverse series of distinctly defined spots of brown, often confluent into 

 short bands, interspersed among which are Spots of white of varying size and shapes. 

 Tail with cross bands of light and of dark. Dorsals dark. Entire lower surface white." 

 i Garman. 



This species was obtained during the cruise of the United States steamer Blake, in 

 from 229 to 333 fathoms, off the coast of Florida, in lat. 32° X.. Ion. 78 c (stations 316, .".17. 

 321). 



In the specimens described by Garman the rostral cartilage, was undeveloped, and he 

 proposed tentatively the subgenus Malacorhinus for their reception. 



Specimens were obtained from the following stations: CCCXVTI, lat. 31° 57', Ion. 78° 

 18' 35", 333 fathoms, 1; cccxvi, lat. 32° 7', Ion. 78° 37' 30", 229 fathoms, 5; CCCXX2, lat. 

 32° 43' 2o", Ion. 77° 20' 30", 233 fathoms, 1. 



RAIA CIBCULABIS, Cou< u. (Fignre25.) 



Raja circular'^, COUCH, Charles worth's M:i,« Xat. Hist., is:is, n, 71; Comisli I'aun., p. :■:;; Fish. Brit. 1st., 

 i. 115, pi. 28.— GONTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vm, 162; Challenger Report, wii. 8.— Day, Fish. G. B. 

 anil In-laiid. n. 348, pi. i i.xxiv. 



••Angles formed by the margin of the snout obtuse, the extremity slightly projecting. 

 The width of the interorbital space equal to the length of the orbit. Teeth pointed, in from 

 fO to 80 series in the upper jaw. Outer pectoral angle obtusely rounded. Upper part of 

 the body covered with minute asperities: a series of spines all along the superciliary ridge: 

 " triangular space in tin middle <>/ tin- back covered with similar spines; median line of the 



